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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · rush · safe · degree · roll · date · toast · cap

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cap — of ice
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cap — a lid
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cap — a hat
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. roll — a cake
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a list
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. degree — from a university
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com